Hassan, Ivanov discuss trade, Mega's planned visit to Russia
Hassan, Ivanov discuss trade, Mega's planned visit to Russia
Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press, Moscow
Visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda and his Russian counterpart conferred on Friday on international issues and discussed ways to bolster bilateral trade.
"We are interested in the development of active political dialog between Russia and Indonesia," Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said, welcoming Hassan to the Foreign Ministry's elegant mansion. "There are many international issues we can discuss and cooperate on."
Ivanov also said he and Hassan would discuss preparations for Indonesian President's Megawati Soekarnoputri's visit to Russia, set for the first half of 2003.
Russia's trade with Indonesia increased by $36.2 million to $203.5 million in 2001, with the technology and military sectors in the focus of both countries' interest. Russian officials have attributed the rise in part to measures to make trading easier, including a new agreement on economic cooperation and a new treaty to prevent double taxation.
Two years ago, Russia launched Indonesia's Garuda-1 satellite, and Indonesian officials have expressed interest in Russian aerospace technology.
At the start of Friday's talks, Ivanov said he and Hassan would discuss issues relating to further development of bilateral economic ties.
The Itar-Tass news agency quoted unidentified Russian Foreign Ministry officials as saying that "there have been signs of progress in the military and military-technical cooperation," a synonym for weapons sales. Russian officials have worked out a draft agreement on military-technical cooperation, which is expected to replace a 1996 memorandum on the issue, it said.
Indonesian military has mostly Western weapons, but Jakarta has sought to diversify its arms import sources after the United States imposed an embargo on military equipment following the Indonesian army's alleged atrocities in East Timor in 1999.
According to Russian news reports, Indonesia has bought 9,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles in the last two years and signed a contract to buy 10 transport helicopters.
Hassan, who has been in Russia since Wednesday, has already visited St. Petersburg, the former Russian imperial capital. There he met with regional officials and representatives of local business circles.
Ivanov said that Hassan's trip to Russia was the first official visit by an Indonesian foreign minister in 13 years. "I hope that we won't have such long breaks in the future," he added.